Lockheed F-94 Starfire

The Lockheed F-94 Starfire is a first-generation jet powered all-weather day/night interceptor aircraft designed and produced by Lockheed Corporation. It was the first operational United States Air Force (USAF) fighter equipped with an afterburner as well as being the first jet-powered all-weather fighter to enter combat during the Korean War.

The F-94 was developed to fulfil a specification issued by the USAF in 1948, seeking a new interceptor capable of day and night operations to replace its piston-engined types in light of recent military advances made by the Soviet Union. The F-94 was derived from the successful Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star trainer; being a relatively simple conversion from an established aircraft led to USAF officials viewing it as a low risk option and opting to procure the type. Maintaining a high level of parts commonality with the preceding aircraft, the majority of the F-94's external changes were related to the adoption of a larger nose that accommodated multiple guns, radar, and an automatic fire control system. Engine thrust was also bolstered by adding an afterburner to the Allison J33 powerplant used.

On 16 April 1949, the prototype YF-94 conducted its maiden flight. While teething problems were encountered, these were overcome relatively quickly. During May 1950, the F-94A reached operational service with Air Defense Command (ADC), its principal operator, where the type soon replaced the piston-engined North American F-82 Twin Mustang in the all-weather interceptor role. It was soon followed by the F-94B, a refined model that proved to have greater engine reliability and a more spacious cockpit; the F-94C equipped with a thinner wing, a more powerful Pratt & Whitney J48 engine, and a new Hughes E-5 fire control system also followed. Further models, including a dedicated aerial reconnaissance variant, were proposed but ultimately not pursued.

In the interceptor role, the F-94 proved to have less endurance and greater reliance upon Ground Control Interception methods than some of its piston-engined predecessors. Beyond its use by ADC, it was also operated by the Far East Air Force, which used the type against various Soviet-supplied aircraft during the Korean War of the early 1950s. The Alaskan Air Command (AAC) and the Air National Guard (ANG) also operated the F-94. It had a relatively brief operational life, the replacement process commencing in the mid-1950s in favor of more advanced fighters such as the Northrop F-89 Scorpion and North American F-86D Sabre. The last aircraft was withdrawn from USAF service in 1958, while the ANG opted to retire its F-94s only one year later.

On 8 October 1948, the United States Air Force (USAF) issued a new general operating requirement that called for a radar-equipped interceptor to replace the aging Northrop F-61 Black Widow and North American F-82 Twin Mustang. This new interceptor was specifically designed to counter the emergence of new Soviet aircraft such as the Tupolev Tu-4 bomber (reverse engineered from the Boeing B-29 Superfortress). The Curtiss-Wright XF-87 Blackhawk had been developed with the intention of becoming the USAF's first jet-powered night fighter, but its performance was subpar. Accordingly, Lockheed was approached by the service with a request to design a jet night fighter on a crash program basis.

The resulting aircraft was derived from the TF-80C (later designated T-33A Shooting Star) which was a two-seat trainer version of the F-80 Shooting Star. Designated F-94 Starfire, it was redesigned with a lengthened nose area to accommodate the addition of guns, radar, and an automatic fire control system. In November 1948, the P-94 was met with the approval of James Forrestal, United States Secretary of Defense. Having observed the conversion to be relatively straightforward, USAF officials chose to issue a letter contract to Lockheed during January 1949. Months later, a definitive contract for 150 production aircraft was received. By December 1949, the number on order had risen to 368 aircraft.

On 16 April 1949, the first YF-94 prototype performed its maiden flight. To accelerate development, these early test aircraft were converted from existing T-33s; they maintained roughly 75% commonality in terms of components with those used in the earlier F-80 and T-33As. Flight testing determined the test aircraft to possess adequate performance. By the end of 1949, the program had been restructured to fulfil pressure from the USAF for more capable fighters; an more austere model, the F-94A, would be delivered quickest while a more capable and ambitious model, the F-94C, was produced.

The fire control system selected for the F-94 was the Hughes E-1; this unit incorporated an AN/APG-33 radar (derived from the AN/APG-3, which directed the Convair B-36 Peacemaker's tail guns) and a Sperry A-1C computing gunsight. Due to the short range of this onboard radar system, it was useful only during the terminal phases of the interception mission; instead, the F-94 would largely be directed through traditional ground-controlled interception, akin to the preceding aircraft that it would replace.